Guilt

I'm sorry.

I'm very, very sorry. Really.

I promise you I'll swim at least 26 laps today, OK?

Look, it's not entirely my fault, too.

The thing is, that McD guy really has a very cute smile! And he.is.. overall, very charming, like, very. *dreamy* And I couldn't help but walked into the restaurant, again.

Why am I even blushing as I type this?! Stop it!!

Keh Len! Faster fire the cute guy from your restaurant if not I'll be visiting it more often than I swim! NooOooOoo!!12

Stay away from me, please Don't.

There's this bioethic debate about quarantine for those with severely infective diseases. I used to think that those with confirmed or suspected cases of highly infectious disease should be quarantined so that they don't harm the larger scope of the society. Protecting the majority should always be the interest of the government, and the society should understand the importance of this policy.

There's also another side of the coin, where I think if the said patients are confined together in a corner of the world for good, the virus probably will be transmitted to each other, causing continual infection among the group. I wonder if this is helping the patients to be cured from the disease. Should the disease is not treatable, wouldn't spending the final few days of life on Earth with their family or loved ones something deeply desired by the patients?

On the first day of quarantine itself, Pret had messaged me about the shocking news of confirmed cases in KTSN. I was at my office as I received the sms. But nonetheless it didn't stop me from being worried for my kids there, for they just came back from an exhausting debate tournament over the weekend. I hope their immune systems are still strong enough to shield them from the infectious H1N1 virus.

Later only it occurred to me that my friends who are still staying in KTSN 1 cannot leave the hostel for one freaking week! That means they have to settle all three meals in KTSN cafe, buy their (over-priced) daily necessities from the convenient shop inside there, no class, cannot meet supervisor in person to discuss their thesis, cannot go to lab to feed their experiment mice, no movies, no shopping marathon during this Megasale period, and cannot stay as far as possible from potential viral carrier. They only have each other, in their world of cross-infection-proned land.

This absolute boredom and dreading anxiety over deadlines would have killed my friends before H1N1 does, unless the former occupy their time with some other things such as assignments, revisions, and last but not least, the ultimate treatment to cure bored people:

missing me :-)

Everytime as I submerged into the water, I hear nothing but the sound of tranquility, of the peaceful under water world.

Except, the fact that my heart keeps calling for your name.

For no apparent reason. I cannot help it.

And the pool accepts me as I am, gives me a space to repeatedly miss you, even as I was wondering if I should be. If not missing you is a more difficult task, then doing otherwise would make myself happier.

Breathe in, dive, float, breathe out. Even after 5 laps, my mind hasn't gotten rid of your name.

For you are special.

Athletes in City

White formal blouse - checked
Black slacks - checked
Hair tied up - checked
Brown leather tote bag - checked
make-ups - checked
breakfast - checked
coffee - double checked
Office ID card - checked
RM2 for bus fare - checked

Last but not least, the heels - checked

I always wonder which type of runnings is more challenging, the one on the athlete track in their running shoes, or the one at basically every possible corner in the city, ON heels.

Kevin asked me if I like swimming really because I love the activity per se. I have no doubt that I am crazy over swimming and the refreshing moment every time a big gulp of oxygen runs down my lungs. But there's another reason why I always challenge myself to go for more laps, at a faster speed sometimes, ending with me leaning at the edge and panting with satisfaction as I got saturated with lactic acid.

Because I need to train my stamina to run, to catch the RapidKL bus B103, which is quite punctual (7:30am), to work. And it's not just a normal jog, but really a life or death sprint, on heels. Alright, should I miss the bus, I can always take the monorail to work. But that also means I have to spend more money on transport that day. And if I were to wait for the next bus, the traffic on road would be more congested and I could end up being late for work. NooOOooOoo!!

First of all the heels have to have the ability to carry you as far as your strength allow you to. Next, it all depends on your skills to balance on them while you run, GRACEFULLY. Bet you haven't seen any track athletes sprint their legs off without twitching a facial muscle. And, all the above items have to remain in respective place as you carry out this task.

Surviving in a city (for a girl) is not just settling down there with a decent job. Really. Girls power is turning the heels which kills into a supportive friend.

Gene posted about his new Nike Air shoe. I love Nike sports shoe too - they are undisputably comfortable. I think they should make heels as a new line of their product, too. Don't you agree?

p/s: I haven't swum for four days already! Must swim kuat-kuat tonight! ;-)

Things to say to make me go speechless

I miss you...

Same here, Nina ;-) I hope you are doing as excellently in HUKM as in KL Campus. You will be the sweetest doctor a patient could have to treat them, for that's the person you are, able to treat the wounds when they're at their most severe condition, and heal them with love.

Best regards,

Cher

faster.. RUN! :D

AND, THERE ARE LIKE, SO MANY POSTS FROM MY FRIENDS' BLOGS WHICH I HAVEN'T READ!

OBSESSIVE TO THE MAX!!

die die also must kia su go swimming for the last 30 minutes before the guard comes and halau us.

die die also must read the blogs before sleep!

die die also must make breakfast for tomorrow, by tonight! And tomorrow is a Friday!

Saturday faster come! Fantabulous-Diamond-Chan style breakfast is the menu! ;) And go Bangi meet my loves!

Life is obsessively Awesome!

Saturday

It's a day you open your eyes from sleep, knowing that it IS a Saturday, turn to another side and fall back to sleep.

After contented at the fact that you've had a super good sleep, you get up and head to the kitchen. Housemates (Vonne and Lian King) join in, and had a good time preparing breakfast for three person's share.

Hot dogs, scrambled eggs, hashbrown, toast, margarine, fresh milk, Nescafe, Milo, Thousand Island and ketchup.

And a lot of heart-lightening conversations, laughter and jokes about someone being observed by some weird uncles when she goes swimming everyday. Sorry ah, uncle, Saturday only do morning show lah, haha ;p

Saturday is my swimming day. Swimming in the morning is much more enjoyable than in the evening. Because you don't have kids come to disturb your pool during cartoon time. The pool appears clearer during day time, and 26 laps is a new record =)

Saturday is also a day to do laundry, clean up the house, blog and online news. And maybe, going out to breathe some air, too. I was planning to read my day away in Kunokuniya, but the weather was a little unpredictable when I was about to go out, hence... No, Merl, I'm not going to talk about the Mid Valley thing here! ;p We'll see what would he say the next time he asks agian ;-)

Already ironed my clothes for work for next week! =)

Physical Attack Statement Does Not Stand

When a debater shuts up and looks at you sympathetically, you know your arguments (at least you think that those are valid arguments) failed to save you. This is because debaters are trained to disregard any fluffy word/sentence, which does not go in line with the clashes of discussion, and move on from the topics (and sometimes, their more meaningful life). And if you’ve spent 5 minutes making pathetic physical attack statements only, such as

“Oh, that’s because you have had memory loss!”

hence acknowledging the fact that no nice-talks could ever be attempted anymore is the conclusion.

It did hurt, but sometimes smart people understands that replying to it will only degrade herself to the same level as the one who said it.

With greatest sympathy,
Cher

Disclaimer: This is not my real life encounter but merely as an observer of this incident.

to merl only

Though I'm told not to, but I'm sorry I just have to type this. This blog was meant for it.

Do you know how a heart aches when... a friend of yours has changed? Or, even if she has not, but the fact that there is another friend who keeps occupying her, and make her see things in a way that... is no longer the same? It's like, she's not the same anymore. She no longer be the one who is close to you, like she used to be. That, the distance between you two has grown so big by the time you realise someone has stolen her from you. That she barely has time for you anymore. And everytime when she's with you, sure the other friend will be around, guarding her too.

I miss the time when I bunked in her room in KTSN, just to two of us, and the next day she's off for her sports competition, representing UKM. It was just the two of us, and I always love the time spent with her. I miss the time when I bumped into her in KTSN cafe. We could sit down and have a meal together, catching up with her always means a lot to me, because I really love her as a good companion. And she seems to understand whatever is my concern. She doesn't judge me. She is gentle.

She is still gentle. But she has lost the warmth in her. She doesn't understand how a friend would feel now beside the another friend. Everything is about her another friend, who is closer to her, and takes good care of her.

I quarrelled with that friend of hers. But the fact that she has changed, hurts me the most. Because I have lost a friend as precious as a jewel to me, a friend I have always, ALWAYS adore deeply. Have you ever have a friend whom you never dislike, even a bit? Like the cute chipmunks you'll always go "aww.." everytime you see them?

I can't afford to loose a friend like her. Becausa it aches so much that I doubt I'll ever recover.

I have my eyes on you

How do you know if you've fallen in love?
Maybe, when your heart skips a beat when you see that special one? And its beating rate gets inversely proportional to the distance between you and him. Or the fact that you went blank and speechless when he's right in front of you? Your mouth gets dry and hands tremble when you stretch out your hand to him in excitement. Day and night, you'll keep thinking about him. That you'd want to do something to get close to the precious one, before someone else does.

I think I saw my soulmate in Isetan. That beautiful handbag was sitting quietly on the shelf, glowing elegantly. I nearly got a heart attack.

But sigh, it's a normal price merchant..during MEGASALE?! That's just so mean!!

Obsessive

Look, I may not be a perfect housemate, but I do carry out my duties and sometimes, YOUR duties. I may be a bit particular over something, and sometimes obsessive is a better word to describe me. Still, I do not cross your line, so please know which line of mine that is OK for you to cross, or NEVER to cross.

Part one: belongings

Things which you're welcome to take from my territory without asking my permission before hand, provided that you return them to me after use:

1. Bible - If you eventually lost mine, I can always buy a new one. Let those who need/want it, have it.

2. Nail clipper - Oh come on, you don't have to ask me over this tiny babe.

3. All books on the book shelve

4. Iron

5. Pens in the pen holder on the table

6. Electronic dictionary

7. Calculator

8. My chopstick, spoon, fork, bowl and plate

9. stationery in my pencil case

10. Dettol cream

11. mirror

12. Scissor

Things which you're NEVER to even think of borrowing from me:

1. My power 400 anti-fog Ogival swimming goggle

2. Earrings and hairband (like, DUH, for sanitary reason)

3. Thousand Island dressing - NEVER!

4. Hashbrown - unless I offer it to you myself

5. Cooking oil - because Lian King and I cook less often in the house, so I think it's better we buy our own cooking oil and no issue of unfairness crop up when we're talking about fair sharing with the whole house.

6. BodyShop Passion Fruit body shampoo

7. BodyShop Passion Fruit body butter

8. Joico hair shampoo and conditioner

9. glass and teaspoon

10. swimming suit

11. Starbucks tumbler

12. food container - I need to bring breakfast to office every morning, so I can't lend it out during weekdays

13. Konxept hair treatment serum

14. perfume

15. towel, comb, pillow and other personal stuff

16. Sony NW-S203F MP3 Player

Things I may lend to you after you ask me:

1. Make ups - I know we're not suppose to share make ups for there are reported cases of people staying in the same house were found positive for a particular parasite because they share their make-ups. Chew Poh Ling can tell you more about this - it's her final year thesis ;-) But well, if you're really in need of it, then once or twice is ok lah. And that generously includes my The Face Shop blue eyeliner-eyeshadow tube and BodyShop pink lipbalm.

2. Laptop

3. Fan

4. Toilet roll

5. Ketchup (because it's not as important as my beloved Thousand Island)

6. Instant noodle

7. Milo 3in 1

8. Nescafe 3 in 1

9. Wire extension

10. clothe hanger

11. clothe clipper

12. Body shampoo

13. Sunsilk hair shampoo and conditioner

14. washing powder

15. Tuna spread

16. Gardenia wholemeal bread

17. Jacob cream crackers

18. Margarine

19. Peanut butter

20. my shoes

21. new toothbrush (to be replaced with another new toothbrush later)

22. Eggs

That's all I have for now. The rule of thumb: ask me before using it. If I'm not around, try not to use anything first, or make sure you know what are the things you should never lay your hands on, because I'm very anal about people using some of the stuff which I do not like to share.

Part two: duties and responsibilites (to save water and electricity and for cleanliness)

1. Please wash the wok after using it. Yes I may not need it often any you may not want to wash it right after you cook, but please do so before you sleep, OK? I believe by that time it wont burn your hands already.

2. Please switch off the lights when no one is using it. Better still, don't stay up late on your own. Because you'll be switching on the lights and only yourself is using yet we all have to pay for you.

3. Think before you open the fridge, and don't open it unnecessarily.

4. Iron all your clothes in one go, or a lot of clothes everytime you want to iron something, and not only one shirt every morning before you go to work.

5. Wash a full load of clothes everytime you're using the washing machine. If you don't have a full load yet you need to wash your clothes using the washing machine, please ask around if other people have clothes to wash also.

6. Please mop the kitchen floor after use irregards if it's your week to sweep and mop the house, especially if your cooking involves deep frying, which will make the whole kitchen very oily.

7. And yes, please sweep and mop the floor when it's your week to do so. It's a small condo and you don't have to do that for everyone's room, just the living hall and kitchen will do. I mean, you don't need people to remind/nag you about it like your mum does, right?

8. when you see the trash is full, just take the initiave to throw it ok.

9. If you have friends staying over for the night, please make sure they follow these rules too, if possible.

10. Please switch off the power for any electrical appliances after use. I don't care if the TV or electric kettle is off, as long as the switch is still turned on, that means electricity is flowing through and wasted. Bomb for next month: Our Tenaga Nasional Berhad bill dated 1st July is RM122.41!!

I sound very obsessive, don't I?...